Charleston Classic puts Cougars in prime-time slot

Mic Smith
The Post and Courier

Bobby Cremins and the C of C basketball team open their season Nov. 14 in the Charleston Classic against SIU-Edwardsville.

The first basketball game ever played in the College of Charleston's Carolina First Center won't involve the Cougars.

Neither will the second.

But College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins says the ESPN- sponsored Charleston Classic Tournament was such a great opportunity to showcase basketball in the city that it far outweighed any "first game" considerations.

"It's ESPN's tournament and they're kind of taking over our building, but we wanted to play on Friday night," said Cremins, whose team will play Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in the third of four first-round games at 7 p.m. Nov. 14. "We felt that was the best thing for our fans. The fact that we're not playing the first game in the arena, that doesn't bother me. This is going to be a great way to open the new arena and it's going to be a great thing for basketball in the city of Charleston."

Other first-round pairings in the tournament have TCU playing Western Michigan at 12:30 p.m.; East Tennessee State playing Temple at 3 p.m.; and Clemson taking on Hofstra at 9:30 p.m.

Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout the tournament will face off in a championship match Sunday, Nov. 16, at 4 p.m. on Comcast Channel 42.

Cremins and Clemson coach Oliver Purnell were in attendance at a press conference in Charleston on Wednesday to announce the tournament bracket.

"We are excited to be part of showcasing college basketball in Charleston for the tip-off of the season," said Purnell. "This tournament also gives our fans, of which we have many in the Charleston area, an opportunity to see our team play three straight days to open the season."

The 5,000-seat Carolina First Center is presently under construction with an expected completion date of Nov. 10.

"We're pleased to have a competitive field and exciting matchups in the inaugural Charleston Classic," said Pete Derzis, senior vice president and general manager for ESPN Regional Television. "We expect this new event to provide a terrific off-the-court experience for the student-athletes, coaches and staffs while giving fans a great opportunity to watch college basketball in the great destination of Charleston."